Prepare Artwork for Print: Template Guide

General Design Considerations

These requirements apply to all of our products unless otherwise noted on the product specifically.

Download the product templates

First off, you'll need to download the Product Template, included in each product link. Scroll down to the Mockup & Template section, then click to download.

File Type

• You can upload your design as a JPG or PNG with a maximum file size of 100MB.

Resolution / DPI

For great results, we recommend creating high quality artwork at least 150 DPI. Avoid low quality images, and always save your design files at the highest resolution possible. Your image may lose detail and appear blurry if it is enlarged too much — resizing or rescaling images only reduces the resolution and is best avoided altogether.

Colors

Your RGB file will be converted to CMYK prior to printing. For artwork with transparency, since PNG files are only in RGB color space, we recommend creating your print files in CMYK and then converting them to an RGB color profile.

The most important thing to know is you cannot compare real world colours with colours on screen 100% reliably. Colors may look different on the printed item than they appear on your monitor.

Artwork Details

1. Any important content (text and graphics) should be placed within the Safe Print Area to avoid being trimmed due to shifts that may occur during production. We recommend a safety margin of at least 5mm.
2. Everything outside the safe print area is considered to be a bleed margin. You should extend your design to the edge of this area on all sides to prevent the appearance of irregular borders.
3. Smaller lines might disappear against a dark background. Avoid general filters, reduced opacity, drop shadows, faded edges, glow and other effects.
4. We recommend sticking with font size no smaller than 10pt for text elements.

Specific Considerations for Different Printing Types

Placement Printing

Placement or engineered print is the controlled position of an artwork within a product. Your design should include solid colors, as designs with lower opacity or partially transparent areas don't always come out well with this printing method — any transparent areas will end up showing the color of the shirt.

The maximum printing area for DTG is 14×16". However, we may scale down the print a bit to fit well on smaller size shirts. The standard left chest size is typically 4.5"x4.5" for formal and corporate purposes.

All-over Printing (AOP)

For certain cut-and-sew products and all-over graphic products, we recommend referencing our print templates to ensure your artwork is correctly placed.

• Use continuous designs that expand across the whole printable area.
• The artwork should align seamlessly on all sides.
• Do not put important elements of the design near the collar or seams.

Does everything above sound a bit too complicated? If you need help with placement print development and set up, we will be happy to assist you. Please ask us for more information on the artwork preparation services you can use to get your prints looking great.